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Foster care sees increase in cases due to economy

By John Sammon Posted: 12/20/2009 01:30:20 AM PST in the Santa Cruz Sentinel

APTOS - A local foster care agency for children and teens is doing more-with-less, faced with state budget shortfalls and greater numbers of at-risk kids. The economy isn't helping. "More youth are going into placement because more families are stressed from the economy," said Suzanne Stone, executive director of Above the Line Home for Kids.

The Aptos-based nonprofit provides foster homes for at-risk children and teenagers in Santa Cruz County, as well as support services for foster parents. Stone said the trend in providing foster care is away from placing children in group homes and instead toward placement in individual foster family homes where children receive additional services. The organization recently closed its Kimberly Carter group home in Corralitos. "Some youth need the intensive structure of a group home," Stone said. "But foster care provides another level of socialization that you can only get from living within a family environment." Children placed into foster homes come from all over Santa Cruz County, mostly from the areas of Live Oak and Watsonville. More than 1,500 young people have been placed in group homes or foster care since 1976. "Typically a child is placed because of abuse or neglect, or they may be an orphan," Stone explained. "The parents may be in jail or in drug rehabilitation."

Stone, who had been in social work for 20 years, took a five-year hiatus to raise a West African child she adopted, and then joined Above the Line, becoming its executive director in 2008. Stone said the need for foster parents has never been greater. "We particularly need foster parents for teenagers and especially teenage boys," she said. Stone said people who volunteer to become foster parents do so for a variety of reasons. "They come from all walks of life," she noted. "They are people who want to give back, and who have a high level of compassion and commitment." To become a foster parent, prospects are subject to close scrutiny including personal background checks. "Candidates have a minimum of 40 hours of training including health, safety and conflict resolution," Stone explained. "The training is ongoing."

The agency has 15 foster care parents and another 10 being certified. Foster parents can take more than one child. Stone said the service depends on state funding that has been cut because of tight budgets. "We've had no state funding increases since 2001," she said. "Our funding was cut by 10 percent, but we're trying to provide the same level of services. We're using up reserves to keep the programs going. We need contributions from the public." People may donate by calling 662-9081, ext. 201, or visit www.abovetheline.org.